Raising Meat birds on alternative feeds (ie CHEEP-ly)

[RisingSun]

Great. As long as you feed the layers oyster shell on the side. No need for layer feed. They do well on 16% Meat birds need more and it sounds like you've got it going on. I have a neighbor that had an old freezer full of meat that she was planning on giving me. Grandson moved in when she went to a nursing home. Don't know if I still can have it. Gotta check. She was giving me the freezer but it's old and going to be a bugger to move next door. /
The idea of fermenting is so good. How much do you feed ff for the amount of birds you have. I have 16 2 wk old chicks had more but.... I feed one gallon about 3 days. And another 25 coming within a few weeks. I'll be making it up in 5 gal containers. But on one of the big Fermenting for meat birds thread one lady uses a 33 gallon trash can and uses a shovel to stir. When it gets to about 1/5 from the bottom she adds a LOT of water and stirs. Then starts adding grains. And adding.

She gets it to the consistancy of oatmeal over a period of an hour. And it ferments overnight. Stir daily. That's how good this stuff is. She feeds all that they will eat all day If they don't finish it she backs off a little the next day. She has had the same can going for almost 2 years. Never spoils or needs to start over. And it cuts way down on the amount of water that your CX's are going to need. Be sure to keep the water raised high enough and the feed high enough that they must stand up to get to it. Keep it across the area from each other. Make them walk. If you are able to free range them so much the better. I've noticed that by running with the layers they tend to learn more about scratching and bug hunting.

Ok I'll shut up now.

So…I don’t have to give my layers layer feed as long as they get meat, some grain and some corn?

 

[RachelJG]

Forgive me if someone mentioned this already, as I didn't read through every single post--but Azolla is worth doing some research on.

Cool! Do you know where I could I get some? I've been tinkering with a soy-free, corn-free feed recipe that I could do even less expensively than the generic crumbles I've been using: 1 part BOSS, 1 part organic feed oats, 2 parts organic wheat (cheeper than organic corn) and 3 parts yellow split peas (by weight) plus a little Fertrell nutribalancer. By my calculations it's only 16.5% protein though. Fermenting or sprouting would increase that some, I think. The grower crumbles they've been on since day 1 are only 18% though, and everything I've read says 20% for broilers... but they seem fine to me... but what do I know? I will weigh one next monday when they turn 4 weeks old. I'm still not too keen on feeding them chicken. I'm not convinced that they are "naturally" cannibals. If they are bored and/or mal-nourished they will resort to cannibalism, but that doesn't mean it's natural or good for them. They are on pasture, but even then I read that they should be on a 20% protein feed and I'm hesitant to increase the pea component of my feed (the cheapest component, ironically) because that's just a LOT of one element. Hmmm...
And yes, my nine survivors were still alive when I checked on them this evening no more sneezing, except when they are scarfing feed and kicking up dust, lol. I set a snare on friday. Something messed with it Sunday night but didn't get caught . on Monday I reinforced their fence (2"x4" welded wire in addition to chicken wire), and added a skirt and let them out of the brooder box.
I want to experiment with fermenting some of their feed, but I'm sure that as soon as I start it something will get in and kill them and then I'll have wasted it.

 

[dudefromtampa]

Good stuff in this thread. Got me thinking....what did people feed chickens (meat or layer, I suppose back then, they were all in the same)? 100, 200, 300 years ago?

 

[LindaB220]

So…I don’t have to give my layers layer feed as long as they get meat, some grain and some corn?

No you don't have to give layer feed. Just keep oyster shell available for them. However, before you make changes, do some research on amount of proteins, vitamins and minerals needed to keep your chickens healthy. Layer feed is just barely adequate as far as nutrients. I'd start with maybe half layer feed and supplement shortly with wheat, crimped oats, barley, corn. Then switch over to full later. What type of meat are you going to give them. If you are a hunter, great. Scraps and bones that are pressure cooked and then ground up in a food processor is the cheapest form of bone meal. You need at least 16% protein. Easiest thing to do is to ferment the feed. Really bumps up the nutrients absorbed and causes less waste as dry. Saves money. Good luck

 

[LindaB220]

Good stuff in this thread. Got me thinking....what did people feed chickens (meat or layer, I suppose back then, they were all in the same)? 100, 200, 300 years ago?

Hey dude,

Chickens had sparse pickings back then. They followed the cattle and picked through the poop for grain and bugs and got grain dropped from the barn at animal feeding time. Table scraps. Bones ground up at butchering time. Lots of weeds, bugs and pickings. They were healthy but not great egg layers. We have benefited in our modern age.

 

[Whoopsie daisy]

Forgive me if someone mentioned this already, as I didn't read through every single post--but Azolla is worth doing some research on. It's an aquatic water fern that fixes nitrogen, high in protein, chickens love it, can grow it in a tub, pond, or whatever, virtually maintenance free, and feed it fresh or dried. It gets called "duckweed" sometimes too, which is confusing, but "Azolla" is the genus name, various species, all very similar.

I grow it for my dual purpose flock and feed it fresh by the handful. A farm near me that raises broilers for marketing grows it on-farm and uses it as a major feed ingredient (http://www.punachicksfarm.com/p/main.html).

Good luck with your cheepers!

Wow, I've never heard of it before but sounds very promising! Anything that I can grow to feed to my animals cheaply is definitely worth looking into! I have 4 meat rabbits as well and picking up some Tree Lucerne (Tagasaste) seedlings for them next week as it's a complete food for rabbits, I can wean them off commercial pellets completely. So anything I can grow myself for the animals seems promising. I just need to do research on availability here in South Africa as well...

 

[Whoopsie daisy]

As promised, a couple of pictures of the chicks

Brooder setup (that heater/brooder lamp thingy hanging on a rope will be secured to a chain this weekend)


Some of the chicks chowing down their feed (or playing in it...)

 

[triplepurpose]

Cool! Do you know where I could I get some?

I got mine from a water garden nursery--they gave me a plastic baggie of it and a weird look, because for them it's a weed. It also grows wild here (it's an invasive, but mine can't escape because we don't live near water). Many places in the world it grows wild in streams, ponds, and waterways. Some places it's considered a pest, but its quick growth rate is what makes it so useful. I don't know that it's naturalized outside of the warmer parts of the world, so depending on where you live you may or may not be able to collect some wild, but it seems I've heard of people it temperate zones cultivating it too, so maybe ask around...

Wow, I've never heard of it before but sounds very promising! Anything that I can grow to feed to my animals cheaply is definitely worth looking into! I have 4 meat rabbits as well and picking up some Tree Lucerne (Tagasaste) seedlings for them next week as it's a complete food for rabbits, I can wean them off commercial pellets completely. So anything I can grow myself for the animals seems promising. I just need to do research on availability here in South Africa as well...

I've never heard of Tree Lucerne... now I'm going to have to look that up! I have rabbits too, and we don't feed pellets either, so I'm always looking for more nutritious stuff that's easy to cultivate for them. If it grows in S Africa, I just might be able to grow it here... if I can get some that is... Right now we rely a lot on Cordylines, pidgeon pea greens, grasses, Synedrella nodiflora, sweet potato leaves, hibiscus, garden greens, and a lot of other stuff but more cut-and-carry options to fall back on never hurts, especially as those growouts get bigger and bigger and keep eating everything we can throw at them...

I keep meaning to plant some mulberry too. That's also supposed to be a complete, or nearly complete, feed for rabs as well

 

[calliescluckers]

I am getting 50 meat birds on April 30th... my first time. super excited however I'm getting a little scared/overwhelmed now! lol


I'm trying to gather as much info as i can... I've never heard of fermenting feed...? what is that and how is it different from feeding the purchased feed?


with having this many birds i would love to find out how to cut costs a little!

New to this site... love it!!!

 

[carolb5]

Welcome to the world of Chickens. I am getting my 50 a couple of days after you. Go to the feed and watering area of the forum. Read some. Just keep it simple and what will work for you in your situation. Put food in a container, put water in it, stir. Wait, feed. Rinse and repeat.
I buy grain in bulk, grind as needed. I have never fed chick starter or medicated feed. Keep us posted.
Carol